Why I wear a puzzle ribbon

So it's Autism Awareness month (along with several other things designated for this month, Cancer Awareness, Amateur Radio Month, Car Care Month, Emotional Overeating Awareness, Soy Food month, and many, many more - I totally didn't make these up) and I have been pondering the big AU (as we call it in the education industry). I have had the chance and opportunity to work with children who have autism all of my teaching career (9 years at the end of this school year) and I've never met one I didn't love.

I wear a puzzle printed ribbon for the month of April on my lanyard at work and I'm pondeiring wearing it for the rest of the year. I have so many stories involving all the kids I work with, but the ones from these little guys (haven't had any girls with autism yet) always seem a little more precious.

I could tell you about the "poop meter" we had to invent one time to help a child poop. I could tell you about how I wrote story detailing everything a kid needed to know about going to an assembly. I could tell you about a kiddo that only ate goldfish, spray cheese, and crackers. I could also tell you about one guy that played checkers against himself and lost. I could tell you about how my student who did one paper for 5 minutes of lego time at the beginning of the year is now working without any mention of legos and is reading in front of the class. I could tell you a lot of these things, and I'll be happy to share more later.

I just wanted to say just like everyone, these kiddos are special. They hold a special place in my heart. Maybe it's because they see things as black and white. There's no gray area with them. They want facts and knowledge. Maybe it's just because they're kids, sometimes locked inside their own head and can't get out. Maybe it's just because they're kids and they deserve everything they can get.

They're kids. So when they yell, scream, hit, kick, bang, rock and do other "not normal" things, just remember - they're kids. They're people. They think. They have feelings. They have the right to become who God wants them to be and we've got to be the people who get them there.

Oh, and one more thing. Did you know that this week is:
National Turn Off week
Sky Awareness week
Fish Fry week
and
Bebe and Mamu are the cutest kids ever week?